Martin Moran (climber) explained

Martin Moran
Main Discipline:Mountain guide
Birth Date:19 February 1955
Death Date:[1] [2]
Death Place:Sunanda Devi, India
Nationality:British
Notable Ascents:The Munros in winter; Alps 4000; Nanda Kot, S-face; Nilkanth, W-ridge
Spouse:Joy Moran
Children:Hazel; Alex[3]

Martin Moran (19 February 1955 – 26 May 2019) was a British climber, mountain guide and author. In 1985, he became the first person to climb all the Munros (mountains in Scotland over 3000 ft (914.4m) in height) during a single winter excursion. In 1993, he and his climbing partner became the first people to make a continuous traverse of all the Alpine 4,000-metre mountains in a single continuous trip, and without using any form of motorised transport. He created over a hundred new winter climbing routes in Scotland, and made a number of first ascents in the Himalayas.Moran died whilst leading a mountaineering expedition in India.

Early life

Born on 19 February 1955, Moran spent his childhood on Tyneside. There he met his future wife, Joy, when both were 18 years old. Moran studied geography at Cambridge University and subsequently qualified as a chartered accountant, basing himself in Sheffield.[4]

In 1985, Moran and his partner moved to Scotland and established a mountaineering instruction and guiding business, 'Moran Mountain' based in Lochcarron. For the next twenty years they ran summer alpine mountaineering courses, based out of Argentière in France, and Evolène in Switzerland.[4] Their children, Hazel and Alex, subsequently assisted in running the guiding business.[3]

Achievements

During the winter season of 1984/85, Moran became the first person to climb all the Scottish mountains listed as 'Munros' in one single trip during winter. The 277 peaks that were listed at the time are all over 3,000 feet in height, and were climbed over 83 days. He was supported along the route by his wife Joy.[5] He subsequently published a book which described the undertaking.

In 1985, Moran qualified as a professional mountain guide.[4]

In summer 1993, Moran and his climbing partner Simon Jenkins climbed all 75 summits of the Alps that were then listed as being over 4000m (13,000feet) in height. They did this in one continuous journey, travelling on foot or by bicycle to get between mountain ranges, but without using any motorised transport.[5] [6] Again, Moran published a book recounting this challenging journey.[7]

As a climber and runner, Moran made numerous traverses of the 7.5miles-long Cuillin Ridge on the Isle of Skye. This mountaineering undertaking normally takes a full day of climbing and scrambling but, in 1993, Moran set a new record of completing the traverse in 3 hours and 33 minutes.[8] He is reported to have attempted this challenge around twenty times, failing it as many times as he succeeded.[9]

In 2010, Moran made the first British ascent of Vettisfossen, Norway’s highest waterfall.[10]

In March 2016, Moran made a full winter solo-traverse of the Cuillin ridge in under 24 hours.[10]

By 2016, Moran had made the first ascents of 14 summits within the Indian Himalayas,[9] including the 1995 ascent of the south face of Nanda Kot (6861m (22,510feet)) and the first ascent in 2000 of the west ridge of Nilkanth (6596m (21,640feet)). Moran also led mountaineering trips to Kamet and Trisul, and to summits in the Uttarakhand region.

Selected first ascents

Scotland

As a winter climber, Moran set up over a hundred new routes in Scotland.[11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

His 2002 route, The Godfather (Grade VIII, 8) on Beinn Bhàn, is regarded as a "sought-after test-piece" and a "winter prize".[23]

Blood, Sweat and Frozen Tears (VII,8) 1993[24]

Himalayas

Publications

Death

In May 2019, Moran was guiding an expedition in India to climb Nanda Devi East (7681m (25,200feet)). Having trekked in to Nanda Devi East base camp on 18 May, they established a higher base camp at 4870m (15,980feet) three days later. The party of twelve climbers then split; one group to fix ropes to the main route on Nanda Devi East, whilst Moran's party of eight attempted an acclimatisation climb and first ascent of an unnamed, subsidiary peak at 6477m (21,250feet). On 25 May, Moran confirmed that a camp had been established around 5400m (17,700feet) and his party would set off for the summit the next morning. All contact was subsequently lost with Moran's group, and a search by the other party failed to find them, but noted evidence of a large avalanche on their route. The alarm was raised on 31 May.

Seven bodies from the group of eight were subsequently recovered in June, but a further search was called off because of monsoon conditions. On 8 July, a GoPro camera, found close to where one of the bodies was retrieved, revealed some of the last movements of the party on 26 May as they traversed a delicate snow ridge, which is believed to have collapsed beneath them, triggering an avalanche which killed them.[2] [35] On the same day, British Mountain Guides Association announced that Martin Moran's body is still missing.[3]

Notes and References

  1. News: Santoshi . Neeraj . Video footage shows last moments of 8 Nanda Devi climbers . 28 July 2020 . Hindustan Times . 8 July 2019 . en.
  2. Web site: Climbers missing on Nanda Devi East, Garhwal Himalaya . www.thebmc.co.uk . British Mountaineering Council . 28 July 2020.
  3. News: Findlay . Stuart . Colleagues pay tribute to Highland climber Martin Moran as they announce his body is still missing in the Himalayas . 28 July 2020 . Press and Journal . 8 July 2019.
  4. Web site: Thacker . James . Our friend and colleague, Martin Moran . British Mountain Guides . 23 January 2020 . 8 July 2019.
  5. News: Telegraph Obituaries . Martin Moran, mountaineer who made first ascents in India and became the first person to climb all the Munros in a single winter – obituary . 3 October 2019 . The Telegraph . 9 August 2019.
  6. Web site: Martin Moran 1955 - 2019 . Mountain Equipment Blog . 4 October 2019 . 27 June 2019.
  7. There was no officially approved listing of summits at that time. The UIAA published an official list of 82 summits later that year.
  8. Web site: Martin Moran 1955 – 2019 . Mountain Equipment . 29 July 2020 . english . 27 June 2019.
  9. News: The Cuillins just keep calling . 4 October 2019 . HeraldScotland . 9 October 1999 . en.
  10. Web site: Martin Moran does winter solo of Cuillin Ridge . www.climber.co.uk . 10 October 2019 . 10 March 2016.
  11. Web site: New Routes . www.smc.org.uk . Scottish Mountaineering Club Date=2019. 28 July 2020 . 195.
  12. Web site: New Routes . www.smc.org.uk . Scottish Mountaineering Club . 2017. 28 July 2020.
  13. Web site: New Routes . www.smc.org.uk . Scottish Mountaineering Club . 2016. 28 July 2020.
  14. Web site: New Routes . www.smc.org.uk . Scottish Mountaineering Club . 2015. 28 July 2020.
  15. Web site: New Routes . www.smc.org.uk . Scottish Mountaineering Club . 2013. 28 July 2020.
  16. Web site: New Routes . www.smc.org.uk . Scottish Mountaineering Club . 2012. 28 July 2020.
  17. Web site: New Routes . www.smc.org.uk . Scottish Mountaineering Club . 2011. 28 July 2020.
  18. Web site: New Routes . www.smc.org.uk . Scottish Mountaineering Club . 2010. 28 July 2020.
  19. Web site: New Routes . www.smc.org.uk . Scottish Mountaineering Club . 2009. 28 July 2020.
  20. Web site: New Routes . www.smc.org.uk . Scottish Mountaineering Club . 2007. 28 July 2020.
  21. Web site: New Routes . www.smc.org.uk . Scottish Mountaineering Club . 2005. 28 July 2020.
  22. Web site: New Climbs . www.smc.org.uk . Scottish Mountaineering Club . 2003. 28 July 2020.
  23. Richardson . Simon . Scottish Winter 2008-2009 . The Alpine Journal . 2009 . 266 . 4 October 2019.
  24. Web site: Martin Moran (1955 – 2019) Scottishwinter.com . 28 July 2020.
  25. Web site: Expeditions in Uttrakhand in 2000 . www.indmount.org . Indian Mountaineering Foundation . 29 July 2020.
  26. Web site: Expeditions in 2001 . www.indmount.org . Indian Mountaineering Foundation . 29 July 2020.
  27. Web site: Expeditions in 2002 . www.indmount.org . Indian Mountaineering Foundation . 29 July 2020.
  28. Web site: Chiring We 2004 . www.indmount.org . Indian Mountaineering Foundation . 29 July 2020.
  29. Web site: Adi Kailash 2006 . www.indmount.org . Indian Mountaineering Foundation . 29 July 2020.
  30. Web site: Griffin . Lindsay . British first ascents in remote area of east India Himalaya . www.thebmc.co.uk . British Mountaineering Council . 29 July 2020 . 24 November 2014.
  31. Book: Moran . Martin . The Munros in Winter: 277 summits in 83 days . 29 May 1986 . David & Charles . 978-0715388365.
  32. Book: Alps 4000: 75 peaks in 52 days . 27 October 1994 . David & Charles . 978-0715302682 . 1st.
  33. Book: Moran . Martin . The 4000m peaks of the Alps: selected climbs. . 1 June 2007 . Alpine Club . 9780900523663.
  34. Book: Moran . Martin . Higher Ground . 21 March 2014 . Sandstone Press . 9781908737557.
  35. News: Death of Scottish climber Martin Moran confirmed . 3 October 2019 . HeraldScotland . 8 July 2019 . en.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Martin Moran (climber)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.